Rusk

Formed January 1, 1843 (36^th county)

Rusk County (53,223), Henderson (13,269)

The Texas Renaissance design of the concrete and tan brick Rusk County courthouse is somewhat unique to East Texas.  The structure was built in 1928 and is at the corner of Main and Fordall streets.  United States Highway 79 bypasses the center of the city center to the south and east.  The architects were Corneil G. Curtis, Arthur E. Thomas, and A. C. Gentry.  The building was enlarged in 1936.  An Annex has been added near the courthouse and a Judicial Center was built in 2011.  Since the January 1, 1843 organizing of the county, all four courthouses (1843, 1850, 1878, and 1928) have been in Henderson.  The county was originally part of Nacogdoches County as the 36^th county.  Rusk County was named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, Texas military hero and legislator.  His name was also given to the county seat of Cherokee County.  The county seat was named for James Pinckney Henderson who was a Texas legislator and governor.  Henderson County is also named for him.  Rusk County is the birthplace of 1 Texas Governor, Mark W. White, Jr. 

The area of the county is 924 square miles.  It is 105 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 64 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 56.5 persons per square mile making it 69 out of 254 in the state.  Rusk County has 41.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 79 crosses the county from east to west from Panola County to Cherokee County.  United States Highway 84 cuts the south from Shelby County, southeast, to Cherokee County, west.  United States Highway 259 enters from the north, Gregg County, and exits to the south, Nacogdoches County. 

Rusk County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge and Two County Court Judges serve Rusk County.  The county is located in East Texas east of Tyler, Texas and west of Shreveport, Louisiana.  The Sabine River is a small portion of the northeast border of the county.  The county center is in Henderson 1.4 miles North of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Harrison, Panola, Shelby, Nacogdoches, Cherokee, Smith, and Gregg counties.  The county is mainly rectangular with a small “foot” on the southeast part.  Henderson is slightly west of center in the county.  Henderson is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 25.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area.